By Aidan Joly
On Monday, the Maui Invitational returns to Hawaii for the first time since 2019, having been held in North Carolina in 2020 and Las Vegas in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, eight teams will descend on the Lahaina Civic Center in one of the strongest fields the tournament has seen in years.
Here’s a look at each of those teams.
Arizona
A team that should spent the majority of the season within the top 15 in the country, the tournament will be the Wildcats’ first test of the season after starting 3-0 in buy games. Lithuanian big man Azuolas Tubelis has averaged 20 points and 7.7 rebounds per game so far, while Oumar Ballo has taken a big step so far in his second year with the program, 17 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Pelle Larsson and Kerr Kriisa have each done well too. This is a loaded squad that could win this tournament.
Arkansas
Another top 10-15 team in the country in the Razorbacks. The top two players on this team are both transfers in Ricky Council IV, who came in from Wichita State, as well as Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile. Junior Devo Davis, who took steps at the end of last season, has taken even more steps through Arkansas’ 3-0 start. Arkansas will see battles this week.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 3-1 on the season and will be coming into the tournament coming off a 13-point loss to Northern Kentucky, a big early-season blemish. One player to watch on the Bearcats is David DeJulius, who has scored 18.3 points a game so far this season. It also boasts former Virginia Tech and Memphis stalwart Landers Nolley II, who will look to get back into the limelight in Maui.
Creighton
Another great team that lands in the top 10-15 teams in the country. The Bluejays will see their first big battles of the season after starting 4-0 with no close games. It landed what was thought to be the best player on the transfer market this summer in former South Dakota State Jackrabbit Baylor Scheierman, but he hasn’t been the player they’ve wanted him to be thus far. His minutes are down and he averages 10.5 points per game. However, Ryan Kalkbrenner has picked up the slack.
Louisville
Of course, a household program, but this year couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start in year one under Kenny Payne. The Cardinals are 0-3 with losses to Bellarmine, Wright State and Appalachian State and they’ve all been by one point. The Wright State loss was on a buzzer-beater. The Cardinals need to show some life in this tournament, or this could be a long year for the program.
Ohio State
It’s tough to peg where the Buckeyes are at for this season. They were picked in the top half of the Big Ten. It has struggled defensively the past few years, but have made roster adjustments to shore up and it has shown, only allowing 50.7 points per game to start 3-0. A pair of freshman Ben Sensabaugh (17 PPG) and Roddy Gayle (8 PPG) have both been good, while Justice Sueing has looked good after missing all but two games last year due to injuries. Some good litmus test games are on the way this week.
San Diego State
Simply put, the Aztecs are a real sleeper team to win this tournament. A top 20 team in the country that has gotten off to a 3-0 start, that includes a pair of nice wins against BYU and Stanford, two teams who will both be in the tournament conversation. Brian Dutcher’s squad is always stout defensively and this year is no difference. Jaedon LeDee and Darrion Trammell, while Nathan Mensah is a great defensive player. This seems like a team that could rattle off a quick three wins to win this tournament (they have the shortest trip, too).
Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are another team that is off to a 3-0 start, two of them blowout wins. Another program and head coach in Mark Adams that is known for its defense, look for Texas Tech to be another team that does that. Texas Tech certainly isn’t a favorite to win this tournament, but don’t be surprised if they can win a game or two. They’ll open up against Creighton.
Tournament schedule (all times EST)
Monday:
Game 1: Texas Tech vs Creighton, 2:30 p.m.
Game 2: Louisville vs Arkansas, 5 p.m.
Game 3: Ohio State vs San Diego State, 9 p.m.
Game 4: Cincinnati vs Arizona, 11:30 p.m.
Tuesday:
Game 5: Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser, 5 p.m.
Game 7: Game 1 winner vs Game 2 winner, 8 p.m.
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday:
Game 9 (5th place game): Game 5 winner vs Game 6 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 10 (Championship game): Game 7 winner vs Game 8 winner, 5 p.m.
Game 11 (7th place game): Game 5 loser vs Game 6 loser, 7:30 p.m.
Game 12 (3rd place game): Game 7 loser vs Game 8 loser, 10 p.m.
AJ Hoops 